Work Text:
It was quiet, soft golden light slipping through the slivers between the curtains. The soft sound of your coworker stocking the shelves was the only thing keeping you awake.
Peaceful music played in the background, something classical, gentle. There weren’t any customers at the moment, but there rarely were.
But it didn’t matter, it’s not like that would close down the shop.
It was, after all, a front for a gang.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere and kind way your coworker treats you, you know this was a front. You should be scared, at least a little, knowing you were getting tied to such dangerous work.
But you had never been hurt, never threatened like you had been at your last place of work. And really, there weren’t a lot of places in Crime Alley that weren’t fronts.
Sure, your coworker always kept a gun on him, but the only reason you knew that was because he pulled it on a customer trying to hurt you.
But it was fine, and if you got shot for getting involved in this business, at least you know whoever did that would get killed for their efforts.
The bell jingles, startling you a little. It was around that time that no one usually came in, opposed to the two people per day average compared to every other day.
Your eyes moved to the door, expecting some old lady or teenage girl. Instead, you were met with a hulking 6’4, double door fridge of a man.
His eyes were a bright green, contrasting with his slightly tanned skin and black hair. He had a shock of white over his eye, slightly grown out with black roots.
And the scars, holy crap the scars! This man looked like he got beat to death with the hooked end of a crowbar, blown up, then given a potion that made him turn into an Olympics bodybuilder.
Honestly, in Gotham that wouldn’t be too far fetched.
Either way, this man looked like a total bruiser. That only was more clear when he approached the counter, close enough where it was clear you had to look up to meet eyes.
What you saw wasn’t at all expected. You saw… embarrassment?
“Hey there, I was wondering if you have any classical romance recommendations?” The man sounded nervous, green eyes darting to the side. “Uh, if it helps, my favorite book is Pride and Prejudice.”
Honestly, maybe your teachers were right when they said ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’
You clear your throat, busying yourself by sliding over a recommendation sheet you had prepared for this exact situation.
“If you're looking for a more historical spin, just look at these ones here.” Showing the paper clearly, your hand hovers over the lower section. “And if you want something a bit more modern with that classical element, these three would be good.”
The man seems completely engaged in your ramblings, nodding his head seriously and studying the paper with a frightening concentration.
Finally, he nods, giving you an awkward smile. He takes the paper and takes a step towards the fiction section. “Thank you for this.”
Nodding and smiling, you feel your cheeks heat. You don’t know why? But that smile was so cute on someone so… intimidating.
Just as quickly as your interaction had gone, the man was back. In his arms there were three books, all held like they were delicate flowers he would crush if he put too much force on them.
Placing them down, his hands came down to tap ideally, eyes wandering over the stacks of unsorted books.
Silently, you started ringing up the books. With the last one scanned, you looked up to see those green eyes trained on you with an intensity that made you think he didn’t know he was staring.
“Do you have a membership?” You asked quietly, not wanting him to startle.
Blinking that look away, the man shook his head. “No, do I need one?”
“There’s a discount on one of those books, but you’ll need a membership. All I need is a name and number.”
“Uh, that’s Jason. Jason Todd.” He mutters, looking down at his tapping fingers.
That name sparked a little recognition in you, but you couldn’t quite figure out where it was from.
Whatever, the less you pry into people's lives, the less likely you are to get shot.
With a hum of confirmation that you heard him, he rattles off his number, pausing with each few numbers.
Finally, with that done, he pulls out his card. As he raises it to the scanner, you notice the tanned skin, scattered with small white scars. Honestly, you didn’t know a hand could be that large, practically dwarfing the card.
Jason pulls away, quick to grab his bag of books.
“Thanks.” He mutters, giving you a shy wave. And with that, he’s gone.
Not bad for a criminally run business.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽✦☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
This certainly wasn’t your first time being mugged, and most definitely will not be the last time.
It was practically routine now, handing one of your decoy phones over and a wallet with a few very real looking bills in them.
But this time, it was different, because when the man got a little too aggressive, instead of getting shivved, a gunshot rang through the air.
Once again, this was not your first time being splattered with blood that soaked your shirt. Although, it didn’t seem like that should be your main concern.
There was a man, currently bleeding out from his chest, collapsed in front of you. Like a good Gothamite, you wanted to mind your business and just walk away.
Like a stupid Gothamite, you looked up.
What met you was a familiar red helmet you were used to only seeing on news reports. And as someone who hadn’t committed a violent crime recently, you relaxed.
Red Hood only hurt abusers, rapists and people who hurt for no reason. If he had killed that mugger instead of just knocking him out, you trusted that man was scum to the earth.
“You right?” Red Hood said, holstering one of his guns. His thick Crime Alley drawl rang through his modulator.”
You nodded, eyes moving back to the now dead man. Like this was not the first time you had been robbed, this was far from the first time you had seen a dead body.
“Thanks Red Hood.” You smile, stepping over the body towards Red Hood. You stop just before you pass him, looking into the white lenses. “We appreciate all you do for the Alley.“
You could sense how he was a little taken aback. You imagine how he probably wouldn’t think about how it made the normal people of Crime Alley to not have to live in fear just living here.
Red Hood tilted his head, radiating curiosity. “Get home safe.”
You smile, already stepping away. You didn’t expect anything less, but you were just glad he knows it now.
Maybe one day you two would meet again, who knows, you might even know his civilian form!
Ugh, what a dumb thought. You would absolutely recognise that double door fridge of a man out of costume.
Right?